Thill-coupling



' Patented Sept. 27, I898.

W. T. MCGUIRE.

XVILLIAM TIMOTHY MCGUIRE, OF ROSSVILLE, IOVA.

T H l L L C O SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Pat Application filed February 28, 1898'.

U P Ll N G e'nt No. 611,267, dated September 27, 1898.

Serial No. 671,970. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM TIMOTHY Mo- GUIRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rossville, in the county of Allamakee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims, relates to certain new and useful improvements in thill-couplings, the object being to provide a combined detachable eye or clip and an antirattler device which will not only prevent the noise incident to a loose construction of the parts, but will reduce the friction and wear to a minimum, thereby conserving the construction and preventing undue deterioration thereof.

A further object is to enable the shaft or pole to which my invention is applied to be readily disconnected from its cooperation with the clip or placed in cooperation therewith, as may be desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention complete, showing a portion of the axle to which the clip is attached and also a portion of the tongue or shaft. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of the stem which is secured to the shaft or pole and which is designed to cooperate with the specially-prepared eyes of the clip. Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 1 on a slightly-reduced scale, showing the axlein section. Fig. 4: shows another form of construction for the stem shown in Fig. 2.

In materializing my invention the axle 1 is provided with the usual form of clip 2, having the forwardly-projecting ears 3, which are provided with the vertically-disposed notches or recesses 4, terminating in the rounded seat 5, the latter having the rearwardly-curved extension 6. Designed to cooperate with said recesses and curved seats is the transversely-disposed head-or bolt 7, which upon its rear edge is provided with the V-shaped rear extension 8, said extension being designed to be received by the curved extension 6 of the seat 5 when said head is in its operative position, in which case the rounded forward side '7 thereof will bear against the forward curved side 9 of the seat 5. a

'Integrally formed with the head 7 is the anchoring stem or body 10, provided with the apertures 11, which latter may be increased in number, if desired, in order that said stem may be reliably secured to the end of the shaft or pole 12. The stem is provided immediately above its point of union with the head 7 with the upwardextension or shoulder 13, designed to bear against the looped end 14 of the antirattler-sprin g, which consists, in addition to said looped end 14, of the upwardly-extending stems 15, the coils 16, and the anchoring-stems 17 the latter being received by suitable sockets provided in the upper edge or other contiguous portion of the ears 8.

The ofiice of the antirattler-spring, consisting of the parts just described, is to bear firmly against the shoulder 13 and thus securely hold the head 7 in the seat 5 provided therefor, preventing all rattling even though said parts loosely fit each other.

The spring just referred to is so constructed and mou ntedin position thatthe tension thereof is disposed firmly against the shoulder 13 for the purpose specified and also to prevent a vertical movement of the head '7 until the shaft or pole has been raised sufficiently to cause said shoulder to move the loop-section of the spring backward out of the path of the head, when the shaft or pole may be raised, resulting in the withdrawal of the head '7 from the recesses 4E, and thereby entirely disconnecting the parts. The head 7 may as .readily be again placed in the seat 5 by holding the shaft or pole so that the stem 10 will be substantially in a vertical position, when the shoulder 13 will pass between the sections 15 of the spring into engagement with the looped section 14, and at the same time the extension 8 will rest upon the seat 5,when the shaft or ole may be lowered, causing said extension to seat itself in the curved extension (5 and at the same time permit the forward side '7 of thehead to be received by the curved seat 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The manner of entering the head 7 into its seat is illustrated in Fig. 3, said figure illustrating the initial part of the process, and it will be clear that a further downward movement of the head will readily place the same in the seat 5 and that when the shaft or pole is lowered into its operative position the spring-loop 14 will not only prevent all vertical movement of the head, but will also bind the same securely against the forward part of its seat.

In Fig. at I have shown a slightly-differcnt construction for the head 7, in which the extension 8 (shown in Fig. 2 and other views) is changed into the curved lip 18, it being understood that the curved seat 6 will be also modified to snugly receive said lip, and it is thought that this construction will obviate the necessity of any additional means being provided to hold the head reliably in the seat provided therefor, as the curvedlip 18 will prevent casual displacement, it being impossible to remove the same until the pole or shaft is elevated sufficientlyto disengage said lip from its seat, and I therefore desire to secure both constructions for these parts.

Believing that the construction, advantages, and use of my improved antirattling thill-coupling will be fully apparent from the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, I will dispense with further reference thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in thill-eouplings, the combination with the axle-clip, the ears of which are provided with the verticallydisposed recess and the curved rearwardlyextending seat substantially as shown, of a pole or shaft stem having a head of the contour of said seat and designed to fit therein, and suitable means for preventing the vertical, movement of said head, as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described antirattling thillcoupling for vehicles, consisting of the clip provided with the forward extending ears having at opposite points thereon the vertically-disposed recesses 4 and the curved rearwardly-extending seat 5; a shaft or pole stem having a transversely-disposed head consistin g of the curved body 7 and therearwardlyextending lip, said head being further provided with the upward extension or shoulder 13; a spring carried by said ears and provided with a curved looped section 14 designed to bear against said shoulder when said head is in its operative seat, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described thill-coupling consisting of the clip provided with ears having oppositely-disposed recesses or seats, a shaft, or pole stem having a head with lateral extensions designed to fit into said seats, said head having a central enlargement forming a shoulder 13, in combination with a spring secured to said ears and having a loop to receive and bear against said shoulder for the purpose specified and as set forth.

4. As an improvement in thill-couplings, a

pole or shaft stem having lateral extensions upon either side of the end thereof, said 1ateral extensions having upon their rear side throughout their entire length a curved lip or extension, in combination with a clip having ears provided with recesses or seats designed to receive said lateral extensions and the lip carried thereby, whereby said head will be prevented from vertical movement until the stem thereof is brought substantially into,a vertical position, as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM TIMOTHY MCGUIRE. Vitnesses:

J. M. COLLINS, J. F. DOUGHERTY. 

